Women deacons are in effect working well in the Church, except we do not call them deacons, and they are not ordained. This is the view of Dr Joe Grayland, theologian, author and parish priest of three parishes in Palmerston North, New Zealand. He questions whether we need another form of the clergy. – Originally Read more
Congratulations to the 350-odd participants in the Synod on Synodality for completing two long and intense sessions of work in 2023 and 2024. No doubt there are many angles to explore in the 28,000 word document. But let’s take a quick dive into it to see what it says about the role of lay people, Read more
Easter is behind us, and everything is back to normal. The resurrected Jesus is cooking fish for his friends. We are not told how he got the fish or given details of the preparation, but we can imagine silver fillets laid out on red hot stones and the air fragrant with breakfast. Was everything back Read more
Life has changed a lot for Joe Gray since becoming an Ecumenical Chaplain at Taranaki Base Hospital. He’d been a plumber for 32 years before that. “When you hang a toilet, fit a bath, turn it on and it’s done, you walk away” he said. Gray says life is extremely different going from a 9am Read more
Euthanasia and assisted suicide are now legal in all Australian States. In each State, however, there are conditions and restrictions. Advocates for euthanasia are currently calling for a review of some of these restrictions. There has been, for instance, a call that advice on euthanasia and assisted suicide should be available via telehealth. It should Read more
The question of women, ministry and leadership echoed loudly in parishes and bishops’ assemblies when Pope Francis called two years ago for a worldwide discussion among rank-and-file Catholics about the Church’s main challenges and issues. The question is resounding more loudly as the summit of bishops and lay Catholics known as the Synod on Synodality, Read more
With the seemingly endless stream of Australian royal commissions taking place, about to take place or called for, the ethical and cultural leadership practices of both government and non-government organisations are well and truly in the spotlight of public scrutiny. And rightly so. People make decisions to behave unethically and destructively, but they do so Read more
Times of great change present the Church with great opportunities says Jesuit Father, James Martin They offer the chance to adapt to new needs and serve people differently, and a ministry of service means going wherever the people are, says Martin (pictured). Martin says that Pope Francis has officially supported ministering to LGBTQ people. He’s Read more
Meet any group of Catholics today and within minutes someone will mention that their diocese or local area is undergoing a “re-organization”. Parishes are being combined, the ordained ministers being spread more thinly around communities, and the access to gathering for Eucharistic activity is being curtailed. The process is sometimes given an elegant name derived Read more
Women training for stipendiary ministry at St Padarn’s Institute, Cardiff, are now in a majority, outnumbering men by 18 to eight. Three of the women are under 30 — deemed good news for the age profile; a further three are between 30 and 39; six are 40-49; four are 50-59; and two are between 60 Read more